Hello!
I am a junior who just completed school and summer has started for me.
What should I start doing to prepare for the college admissions process that will start next fall?
I think I should create a resume, but apart from that, what?
Thanks in advance for the input.
Write essays for several common app prompts. This will give you a chance to figure out what you really want to say and put together a polished version at the beginning of senior year. If you plan to retake SAT or ACT, you can study over the summer. Ask Junior year teachers for recs now, not in September.
Agree with above. I don’t see a need to create a resume. If your school uses Naviance, by all means, use it to start cataloging your achievements, ECs and so on. When you are ready, all the info on Naviance can easily be transferred to the common app. Do a lot of research about your top college choices. You may find that some become more interesting, and others less so. You need to know why you want to attend various colleges, so that you can write unique “why this college?” essays, and also so you can learn just as much about your safeties and matches as you learn about your reaches.
Do you have a list of affordable schools you are interested in? If not, run NPC’s and determine what is affordable. If so, look now to see if they accept the common app. Some schools you can apply in late summer and have answers in fall. You don’t have to decide until May 1, but it’s nice to have at least one early acceptance.
Your college admissions process has begun, not in the Fall
OK Here is what I am interested in:
I am a “south carolina homeboy,” who wants to go to the university of south carolina for sure. They have a unique cybersecurity program and also have an outstanding math department.
Thus, I plan to apply to university of south carolina, clemson, but also university of maryland as it has a nationally ranked cybersecurity program that is famous, but south carolina is better for undergrad. I am interested in a computer science and math double major.
Virginia Tech is another option… they have a decent cybersecurity program as well, but my concern is that they do not have a computer engineering website [or indeed any engineering website] that can provide me information about the computer engineering tracks… another concern is that I want to do math + computer science/engineering and V. Tech’s program seems less flexible to allow me to do this.
In any case,
I can ace “why this college” essays.
@gardenstategal I would like to set up a common app account and start filling it now and working on essays. Do you think that is possible right now, and if doing so is a good idea? Does the common app have essay prompts for next year? Looks like all the colleges I have mentioned do not have common apps. Instead, I have to fill out information with their information systems for each.
@Lindagaf I know what colleges I want to apply to. We do not have naviance, so that would mean I have to start creating a resume now?
How does it work with recommendation letters? Can I ask my teachers to write me letters and then I collect their letters and send off copies to each institution, or do they send it to the institution directly?
New policy: http://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/college-counseling/five-things-know-about-account-rollover
Which seems to indicate that you could indeed create an account now. I don’t think the essays are up yet, but you can check.
Apparently essays are up. Maybe I am unclear as to what you mean by resume. Unless you need to send a resume to colleges not using Common App? All the info which you would out on a resume will go on the Common App. So if you spend a lot of time formatting a resume, you don’t need to. No resume needs to accompany your application. Some people do apparently hand a little “cheat sheet” to interviewers, but that is not required, and in fact, I don’t know what an alumni interviewer would do with it.
With recs, you should ask teachers now, then ask again in September. You don’t send in recs, your guidance office handles that I believe. Your guidance office will be sending all kinds of things to a college which you will not be inolved with. However, once app season is in full swing, check on your college portals to be sure your materials have arrived.
Run the net price calculators on each school’s website to make sure they are affordable. Even if your parents say they will pay for anything, lots do not know what that cost is these days. You are out of state for some of your state schools, so that will be pricey.
You don’t need a “resume”, but applications do want lists of activities and awards in your high school years, so in that respects you need one.
You probably need 2 high school teachers to write recommendations. If you plan to apply early in the fall, you might ask them this spring and let them know you plan to apply shortly after school starts.
Make sure you have at least one school where you have a very strong chance of getting in and know you can afford it.
Have you checked each schools testing requirements and made sure you are ready to meet them?
I have all my sat’s and academic stuff down. I got 2310 on sat combined for the three sections.
I know what schools I can get into and afford. I just need help navigating the waters of filling out the paperwork and getting merit scholarships. I just need to apply as early as I can.
Thanks 
Did you ask your teachers for letters of recs? You could ask your senior year teachers if you are really good student but it might be better to ask your junior year teachers.
If you plan on having a summer job, now’s the time to do it. You will need cash.
Clemson application date opens August 1. There are no essays . It’s an easy application to complete. They weigh GPA, test scores, rank and rigor the most, ECs less heavily. You want to apply as early as possible because application date is how housing is determined. Clemson has gotten quite competitive for admission , even instate. Once you apply, you will get a student number . If you plan on applying to Calhoun Honors , you will need that. I would also compete that app early as it has also gotten very competitive for admission , and will probably be more competitive since they just completed their new Honors complex. They do not have rolling admissions , and the website says students will be notified in Feb, but we found out last year, higher stats students began hearing in early Dec. Deadlines for bothe Clemson and Calhoun Honors are early Dec. My son heard back formally from Clemson in early Dec( he already had provisional acceptance) and heard back from Calhoun Presidents Day weekend.
If you haven’t already done so, talk with your parents about how much they will contribute to your education. Have them begin to look at your expected family contribution. The numbers should be more accurate than in the past since FAFSA now uses prior years tax returns. Don’t let these numbers limit where you apply but do let them guide your expectations. Start looking hard at “safety” schools and get comfortable with it.
@carolinamom2boys When does Uni. South Carolina’s application open?
People, I just need help with the process of filing paperwork, not figuring out where I would like to go in theory or can afford. Thanks.
I’m not sure. It should be on their website. My son didn’t apply to USC, so I don’t have much info on that school or their CS program @JoeyPapagobich
OP, we are trying to help you. Unless you are applying by old-fashioned snail mail, nowadays there is no paperwork. You do not need a physical resume. You need to prioritize your activities and start researching how to file financial aid requests. I suggest an excellent book called The Financial Aid Handbook, which contains a lot of other useful advice besides info about the financial aid process. I assume you include the FA aspect as “paperwork.”
It will be very useful to take a look at the Common App. There is a lot of info online about what you need to do with it. Just plop yourself in front of a computer for a couple of hours and start thinking about how you will fill it in.
IMO, most of the app is pretty straightforward, and you will have to answer ?s about your parents too. The app will ask for colleges your parents attended, and when, so that is something you can do early. Think of all your clubs and activities. Prirotize them, think of leadership, think of any awards or recognition. Sometimes these things are not so obvious. Were responsible for regularly helping an elderly neighbor with yardwork? That counts. Did you lead a neighborhood or church food drive? That counts too. So if you want to get busy now, spend time thinking of that sort of,thing.
Okay, so your parents are wealthy and can afford any school?
You already took the PSAT in October to qualify for National Merit status?
You already have acceptable decent SAT and ACT scores?
Then I suggest you:
1). Build up your essay topics- 8 topics minimum.
2). Have your list of EC’s ready
3). Copy the Letter of Recommendation forms on the Common App and advise your teachers of deadlines.
3). Get a summer job.